Stamp-affixing device



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I. RANDALL.)

STAMP, APFIXING DEVICE. v No. 361,450. Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

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` 1. RANDALL.

ST'MP APPIXING DEVICE.

No. 361,450. Patented Apr. 19, 1887. Y

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UNITED STATES PATENTV OFFICE.

IsAAcEANDALL, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

STAM P-AFFIXING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATIO forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,450, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed October 26, 1886. Serial No. 917,218.

T0 all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, IsAAo RANDALL, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedV Postage-Stamp Stickers and PapeI-\7Vei hts;`

' hereinafter.

I n the drawings, Figure 1 'is a view of one form of my device in side elevation, partly broken away, and showing the position my device occupies as a paper-weight, being also capable of use as a stamp-sticker in this position. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line fu o of Fig. 1. Fig.'3 is a horizontal transverse section of the same on the line fw 'w of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a plan view of the lower removable part shown in Figs. 1 and2. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 6 is a detail 'sectional view on the line x .fr of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another form of my device in its preferred position for use as a stamp-sticker. In Fig. 1 I show my device in position for use as apaper-weight, and in this position the part A is naturally the head andthe part B the base-plate, and hence I will use these terms throughout this specification, although when the device is in the position 'shown in Fig. 7 they are not apparently appropriate. A is the plunger-shaft, and AZ the plunger-head.

C is what I call the block,7 and in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is shown as being in two sections, c and cwhile in Fig. 7 the block Gis in one piece. This block C is provided with air-chambers D D on each side of and communicating with the opening D', which receives the plunger-head A2, and also communicating with the outside air through the holes d d. The plunger head A2 is transversely perforated, as shown, for the reception of a spring, E, preferably of rubber, whose ends are passed through perforations d d in the block C, and thence passed around or otherwise secured to a ring or band, F, resting in or against the grooved-or rabbeted surface of the block, as

(No model.)

shown, and held in place by the top plate, G, suitably secured (as by pins or screws g g and corresponding holes, f f) to the top of the block C, in the position shown inFigs. 1 and 2. It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the style of spring; but I find that a rubber ring or band works admirably, and that if the ring F is split, like a key-ring, the spring E can be quickly applied and readilylreplaced if broken. parts,it is preferably united by means of pins e e and sockets e e', as shown; but it may, as

e stated,be as conveniently formed in one piece,

and preferably so if made all of metal.

The base-plate B, which becomes practi` cally a top plate 'in Fig. 7, is preferably a thin sheet of brass, provided with two slots, b b', curved on the arc of a circle, and each extending about one-fourth of said circle, the said plate being held to the block C by means of screws b b, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or iiatheaded pins or tacks, as shown in Fig. 7 In the former I bevel the edges of the slots, so that the heads of the screws will be flush with the surface of the brass (whose thickness is exaggerated in the drawings) while in the latter form the heads of the pins or tacks are so thin as to project but very slightly abovetor below, if the device is inverted) said surface.

The operation of my device will be readily understood from the foregoing description of its construction. The postage stamps (represented at H in the drawings) are placed within the cavity D', when the plate B is turned, as

`in Fig. 7, with their gummed surfaces uppermost or outward. To retain them iu said cavity, so that they willnot drop out when the deviceis inverted to be used asa paper-weight,

When the block C is made in two the plate B is turned to the position shown in Fig. 5, the dotted lines in said figure-representing the position of the stamps within. The

device may be used in either of two ways. Preferably it is placed as shown in Fig. 7, and then, the corners of the envelopes being moistcned, (as by a sponge or otherwise,) the said moistened corner is pressed down over the opening in the plate B, and the pressure causes the stamp to adhere to the moistened envelope, which latter is then thrown aside and another moistened envelope similarly applied and stamped. Another way is to leave the plate turned as in Fig. 5, and then (the envelopes ICO having been suitably moistened in their corners) to use the device after the manner of a post-oiiiee stamp -canceling device, because, while the small portion of each end ofthe stamp, which is above the edges of the opening in the plate B, will prevent the stamp from accidentally falling out, it will not interpose any obstacle to the stamp being withdrawn therefrom when the main body of the gummed surface of said stamp has been pressed against and caused to adhere to the moistened surface of the envelope in the operation of stamping the same.

I is a little block, of metal or other suitable material, placed between the body of stamps and the head of the plunger to prevent the stamps from curling up from the heat or condition of the atmosphere ofthe room while they are not being used-that is, while the device is simply used as a paper-weight-the stamps being thus kept always flat and ready for use.

Another obvious use of my device is for the purpose of placing gummed direction-labels or advertisiugcards upon envelopes, &c., the cavity D being made (as well as the opening in the plate B) the proper size and shape for this purpose.

The airchambers D, which communicate with the stamp-receptacle, are of great importance, as in order to insure a successful working of the device atmospheric pressure is necessary above the opening in the plate B.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a stamp-sticking device, the combination of a receptacle for the stamps, a springretracted plunger, and a perforated and movable plate for retaining the stamps in position for use, substantially as set forth.

2. In a stamp-sticking device, the combination of a block containing a receptacle for the stamps and air chambers communicating therewith and with the outer air, a plunger, and a spring for retracting the latter, substantially as set forth.

3. In a stamp-sticking device, the combination of a block containing a receptacle for the stamps and air chambers communicating therewith and with the outer air, a plunger, a spring for retracting the latter, and a perforated and movable retaining-plate, substantially as set forth.

4. In a stampsticking device, the combination, with a block having a receptacle for the stamps and a spring-retracted plunger, of a retaining-plate provided with a perforation coinciding in size and shape with the stampreeeptaele, and slots, curved on the are of a circle, and screws, pins, or tacks passing through said slots into the block, whereby the said plate may be turned on the said block, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A combined paper-weight and stamp. sticking device, consisting of a block having a receptacle for the stamps and air-chambers communicating therewith and with the outer air, a plungershaft moving Within said block and bearing an exterior head forming a snitable handle and a transversely-perforated interior head adjacent to the stamp-receptacle, a perforated and movable plate secured to one head of the block, a ring secured to the other head of said block, and a retracting-spring passing through the transverse perforation in the plunger-head and having its ends secured to the said ring, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Viscou sin, in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC RANDALL.

Vit nesses:

H. G. UNDnRwooD, MAURICE F. Fama. 

